Above: Jenna Lee (Larrakia artist, Gilimbaa)
Why I Choose Not To Smoke Or Drink
Jayla (12 years), NSW
Why I choose not to smoke
I choose not to smoke because know the possible results smoking can lead to such as severe medical issues or even death. I have also seen and heard about smoking incidents and 95% of the time it is not a good incident. Smoking in general or even passive smoking can lead to all different types of cancer. Through out my life I have grown up around family members and friends who smoke, and I have seen with my own eyes the possible outcomes. Also, it can be very expensive to smoke because cigarettes are expensive, and the prices will quickly build up as soon as the smoking becomes addictive. Most people believe occasional smoking won't cause them to become addicted and that, if they become regular smokers, they can stop smoking anytime they want. Once you're hooked, it's tough to quit.
Why I choose not to drink
I choose not to drink because I know that if alcohol is consumed incorrectly it can lead to bad behaviours such as: drink driving, doing drugs, sexual harassment and abuse etc. I have also learnt that alcohol can not only do physical harm to the person consuming it or people around the person consuming, it can also lead to mental issues if consumed incorrectly. If irresponsible amounts of alcohol is consumed it can lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol can also be very expensive. Alcohol can quickly become addictive and may lead to becoming an alcoholic, which can lead to being poor, homeless and even loneliness.
What I do to keep myself safe
I choose to surround myself by positive people who take me for who I am and will not try to make me smoke or drink and even if they asked me and I rejected it they would not try pressure me into doing it. I remind myself that smoking or drinking doesn’t make you cool, it might make you feel cool until you make a complete fool of yourself.
Summary
In summary therefore, I choose not to smoke or drink because I know the possible outcome to the person doing and others around the person doing it that usually aren’t positive and can lead to harm physical and mental harm. Smoking and drinking can lead to so many bad behaviours that may end up with death.